


Hey Look, Ma

by Punrise



Series: Tumblr Prompts [1]
Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Engagement, Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 09:44:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15482997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Punrise/pseuds/Punrise
Summary: It takes a second for the words to sink in but when they do Went pumps a fist in the air and Maggie claps a hand to her mouth and lets out an excited squeal.“I don’t understand,” Sonia says, looking between Eddie and Richie with a look of confusion on her face. “Why do you have to get married? Can’t you just stay boyfriends?”Eddie and Richie get engaged. Their parents have different reactions to the news.





	Hey Look, Ma

**Author's Note:**

> TW: referenced homophobia. it isn't too bad but just be careful.

It is during a Losers reunion lunch back in Derry that Richie proposes to Eddie.

He says yes, of course, wrapping his arms around his now fiance’s neck. Richie hugs him back and they stand there for God knows how long just holding each other. Eddie cries a little, burying his face in Richie’s shoulder as he does so and when he pulls away, he notices that Richie’s eyes are red too.

Eddie grins from ear-to-ear for the rest of the lunch, admiring the ring that’s snug on his finger. When they were teenagers Richie had always been adamant that he wanted to propose, but they hadn’t really discussed it since they moved to New York and Eddie couldn’t say that he had any suspicion it was going to happen. Richie has always been good at surprises and this might just be Eddie’s favourite one.

They bid goodbye to the Losers at two o’clock, stuffed from lunch and more than a little tired. They don’t have time to sleep, though, because Richie informs him that they’re going to visit his parents for a few hours. Eddie can tell by the look on Richie’s face that he’s excited to tell his parents about their engagement and he doesn’t blame him — over the years his parents have been so supportive from Eddie’s disastrous coming out, to lending them money to put down a deposit for their apartment in New York. It was a stark contrast to Sonia’s wavering support, their biggest fan one week and wanting nothing to do with them the next. It was an exhausting ride for both Eddie and Richie and honestly, Eddie wasn’t sure whether he wanted to tell his Ma yet.

“Oh it’s so nice to see you both,” Maggie greets them at the door, pulling both of them into a hug. “Come in, come in. Richie don’t forget to wipe your feet on the doormat.”

“But Mom!” Richie whines although he does what she says. Eddie laughs at him as he places his own shoes on the shoe rack.

“I have trouble getting him to do that at home,” he says. “He never does it without being prompted.”

“Never did as a kid either,” Maggie smiles. “Go through to the kitchen. Went’s making sandwiches. I’ll be there in a minute.”

As they walking into the hallway, they both glance at each other. Richie is the first one to laugh, and then Eddie.

“Guess we won’t need anything to eat for the next couple of days,” Richie snorts. “God, they’re going to have to roll us out of here.”

“I think I can handle a sandwich or two,” Eddie smiles. “Not being able to isn’t an option. Can’t let down good ol’ Mags and Went, huh?”

“Let them down an the weddings off.” Richie jokingly whispers. Eddie sticks his tongue out in response.

///

After two sandwiches Eddie really is fit to burst. He sits in the armchair, listening to the smalltalk between Richie and his parents. He’ll jump in every now and then, but it’s mainly just about Richie’s work — he’s recently booked a slot on a radio show — and Eddie is feeling too tired to really commit to the conversation. So he just listens, adds comments here and there so they know he’s interested, and sits there wishing that he could go back to their hotel room and take a nap.

Went eats most of the sandwiches. He gets up to take the empty plate to the table and Maggie follows him leaving Eddie and Richie alone.

“I’m going to tell them when they come back in,” Richie whispers. “Bets that Mom will cry?”

“My whole life savings,” Eddie whispers back. “An entire year’s salary.”

They sit quietly until Maggie and Went return and take their seats. Eddie fiddles absentmindedly with his ring, and Richie leans forward in his seat.

“Mom, dad,” Richie says. “Eddie and I got engaged today.”

It takes a second for the words to sink in but when they do Went pumps a fist in the air and Maggie claps a hand to her mouth and lets out an excited squeal. There’s a lot of hugs in the following minutes, and Eddie shows them his ring and gushes about their son. The air is practically buzzing with excitement and Maggie starts asking them details about the wedding.

“Mom,” Richie laughs. “We haven’t even thought about that yet! It’ll be a while anyway.”

“Well I’ve thought about it,” Maggie grins. “Can I help with the planning? Please, Richie, I have so many ideas!”

“We’ll see, Mom,” Richie says, looking to Eddie. “What do you think Spaghetti? Should we let Mom in on everything?”

“You’re welcome to do all the planning you want, Mrs. Tozier,” Eddie says. “Heaven knows you’ll be more use than your son here. He can barely plan an outfit for the next day, let alone a whole wedding!”

“Can I help pick the cake?” Went asks.

“He’s only in it for the samples,” Maggie warns. “He’ll eat all of them and never help you to make a decision.”

Bathed in the early evening light filtering through the curtains, the group of four laugh and joke the evening away. Eddie’s smile doesn’t leave his face until he and Richie return to their hotel room and fall asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

The Toziers were elated. A stark contrast to Sonia’s reaction three days later.

///

  
“I don’t understand,” Sonia says, looking between Eddie and Richie with a look of confusion on her face. “Why do you have to get married? Can’t you just stay boyfriends?”

Eddie glances to Richie apologetically. He didn’t expect it to end up like this. Sure, he’d expected some resistance but he hadn’t expected his Ma to throw a tantrum when soon as she was told. They had left then and were halfway down the road when Sonia came running out of the house and pulled them back in with her. Eddie was ready to give her a piece of his mind when Richie pulled him to the side and told him to give her a chance. He’d reluctantly agreed.

“Why did you and Dad have to get married?” Eddie challenges.

“Because we loved each other.”

“Richie and I love each other,” Eddie says. “So if that was a good enough reason for you and Dad then why isn’t it for us?”

“Well, because…” She seemingly struggles for words, her face turning red. Either with embarrassment or anger, Eddie didn’t know. Maybe it was a combination of both. “Because…”

“Because we’re gay?” Eddie snaps. He clenches his fists, fed up of his Ma’s blatant homophobia. He just didn’t get how she could change sides so easily; one minute she was supporting them and the next she wasn’t. “You don’t want to come to your own son’s wedding just because he happens to like men? How is that fair, Ma?!”

“How do you think I’m going to explain that to my friends?!” She glares. “You might not be in the church community, Eddie, but I am. How do you think it would look if I told everyone in there that my son was getting married to a man? I might not see a problem with it but others will and how do you think they’ll treat me?”

“Your friendships are more important than my marriage?” Eddie’s voice wavers, but he wills himself not to cry. “You don’t have to tell them, Ma. No one will force it out of you, either. And I know you see problems with it. You try your best to be understanding at times but I know that you struggle with it. That’s fine, Ma, I know how hard it is trust me, what do you think I went through when I figured it out, but it doesn’t mean you can do things like this. It’s not fair.”

“So you want me to become friendless just so you can get married?” His Ma raises her eyebrows and lets out a chuckle. “God almighty, Eddie-Bear, it’s not all about you!”

“I’m sorry to interrupt Mrs. K,” Richie speaks before Eddie can get another word in. “But Eddie had just gotten engaged. He’s going to be married. I would say that, right now, everything is all about him. About us. This is supposed to be an exciting piece of news but instead you’re runing it with your small mindedness and inability to accept people as they are. C’mon Eds, we’re leaving. I can’t sit here any longer and listen to this.”

Eddie is reminded of the night that he came out, when they left in a similar manner; Richie’s arm slung over Eddie’s shoulder with the light spilling out from the doorway behind them.

Things worked out then, he tells himself, and they’ll work out now.

“It’s okay, Eds,” Richie says once they’re back at the hotel waiting for the elevator. “She’d have put a dampener on everything anyways.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt someone sent to me on Tumblr and I loved it! Thank you to anon for suggesting it!
> 
> Also, I’d like to quickly say that I’m not shitting on church communities at all -- a lot of them are accepting and welcoming, but there are some that are toxic and hateful and we can’t turn our backs on that.
> 
>  
> 
> [tumblr](http://pun-rise.tumblr.com)


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